US embassy cable - 05VIENNA112

UNCLAS VIENNA 000112 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/I, DRL/CRA, DRL/PHD AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PROP, PREL, PHUM, IZ, AU 
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL MISSION FOR IRAQ ELECTIONS - 
AUSTRIAN RESPONSE 
 
REF: 04 STATE 274965 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
1.  (SBU) Embassy conveyed reftel points to Austrian MFA 
Middle East Africa Bureau on January 10.  Pol Unit Chief 
followed up with Middle East desk officer Wolfgang Lapuh on 
January 12.  Lapuh agreed with our assessment that successful 
elections would represent a critical turning point for Iraq. 
However, he pointed out current GoA policy prohibiting TDYs 
by Austrian officials in Iraq would likely preclude MFA 
involvement in the International Mission for Iraq elections 
(IMIE).  Lapuh asked whether Austrians with election 
observation experience could participate on a private basis. 
PolOff said that election and election monitoring expertise 
would be in high demand and urged Lapuh to have such 
individuals contact Elections Canada to volunteer their 
services. 
 
2. (SBU) Pol Unit Chief noted recent media accounts of 
arrangements for out-of-country voting for Iraqis resident in 
Germany, including polling stations in four German cities. 
He urged Lapuh to try to facilitate similar arrangements for 
Iraqis in Austria.  Lapuh promised to look into possibilities 
for Iraqi absentee voting in Austria. 
Brown